"Nothing is given. Nothing is easy, especially this time of year," UH guard Rob Gray said. Everybody wants to win, because everybody wants to keep their season going. Everybody wants to just have a piece of March Madness."

UH (21-9), the No. 3 seed this year, had a first-round bye and open against the Connecticut-South Florida winner at 8:30 p.m. Friday at the XL Center in Hartford, Conn.

Tough stretch ahead

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Results/schedule

At Hartford, Conn.

Today's first round

East Carolina vs. Temple 2:30

Tulsa vs. Tulane 5

South Florida vs. Connecticut 7:30

Friday's quarterfinals

SMU vs. G1 winner 11 a.m.

Memphis vs. Central Florida 1:30

Cincinnati vs. G2 winner 6

Houston vs. G3 winner 8:30

Saturday's semifinals

G4 winner vs. G5 winner 2

G6 winner vs. G7 winner 4:30

Sunday's final

Semifinal winners 2:15

To advance to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2010, the Cougars most likely need to win three games in three days and capture the league's automatic bid. That would include a path that likely includes playing Cincinnati and SMU in the semifinals and final. UH went 0-4 against the AAC's top two teams during the regular season.

Entering this weekend, the Cougars are listed among the "next four (teams) out" in the latest ESPN projections.

Gray, the AAC's leading scorer at 20.3 points, said there is a "higher sense of urgency" this time around.

"We just have to feel like our life is on the line," he said. "We're right there on the brink. If the right teams lose and we handle our business, we can get our seniors in the NCAA Tournament like they deserve."

After last year's early exit, coach Kelvin Sampson prefers to take this weekend one game at a time.

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At this time a year ago, the Cougars were riding the emotions of one of their biggest wins, 69-56 over Cincinnati, in the final game of the regular season.

"We needed the season to end that night. We didn't need to play any more games with that group," Sampson said. "We got to the fourth lap and didn't finish the race. We talked about that all offseason."

Sampson said the Cougars are better prepared this time around. They are experienced, with several players back, including first-team All-AAC guards Damyean Dotson and Gray.

Davis a key

The 'X' factor for the Cougars could be forward Devin Davis, who missed seven weeks with a foot injury. UH is 7-2 since his return in late January.

"I don't think anybody has seen the impact he can have on us," Sampson said.

UH beat South Florida 70-56 in the teams' only meeting this season. The Cougars swept two games from UConn, holding the Huskies to 12 first-half points in a 62-46 win to start conference play and rally for a 75-70 win on Feb. 22.

A matchup against UConn means the Cougars would be playing a "true" road game.

"We would be the only team in the first round to be playing a road game," Sampson said.

Whatever the case, Gray said the Cougars want an extended stay at the AAC tournament.

"We're going to be ready to go and try and not make the same mistakes two years in a row," he said.